family weekend, continued

Oh the storms! They raced through south central Wisconsin in the middle of the night, flooding homes, streets, construction sites, toppling flowers, unnerving at least one person at the farmhouse (me!). How could you sleep through that?

It turns out many people could, including all farmhouse guests and one resident (ed, not me!).

Still, I'm up early. I take a stroll through the gardens, shaking off the water from the toppled phlox...






... and whoa! whats this?? A beautiful day lily that tells me that the lily season is at long last here, ready to bring a rainbow of colors to the flower beds.






The youngest farmhouse guest appears to wake up as her cousin does when she sleeps here: with a big grin and a readiness to start the day.






Breakfast first. It's going to be a very hot day, but in the early hours, it merely feels summer-warm.

Primrose, welcome to one of my favorite routines: having a morning pause on the porch.






Ed, I want to hold her -- this little girl with cow pajamas and inquisitive eyes!






Her parents bathe and dress her. Oh, radish girl, you do look like you're ready to have a grand day!






Check out my sandals, grandma!






Everyone wants to go to the farmers market! It's an ambitious plan: there is a mom who gave birth just a week ago. There is the newborn. There is the three year old who in theory does love the market, but has some reservations on the hottest of hot days, especially when the early summer crowds can be intense. And of course there's the Chicago babe who doesn't quite know what she's in for.

Still, everyone is determined! The grownups love this summer ritual too much to put it aside just because there now are young ones among us. Too, there is the cool, shaded Capitol lawn for a post market romp (and a study of three-leaf clovers)...






"This will be my highest jump EVER!"






(An uncle for three years, a father for nearly three months...)






I'm not one for posed pictures, but I do want this one. I should note that I'm wearing a dress I found recently in a stored cardboard box: it was one of my pregnancy dresses. Fast forward a few decades and here I am, with daughters and grandkids!






So how was the market excursion? Perfect!






We spend the afternoon at my older girl's home. Because we see her less often, our eyes are on the wee Chicago girl.

Here she is, with dad...






... with mom...






But never do we forget the other two: here's little Sparrow, getting so many hugs and cradles from Snowdrop! (She is superb at supporting him in all the right places...)






(My older girl remembers that her little sister loved cheetohs as she was growing up. This modern day version is much more sophisticated and you can actually taste the cheese in it. She brings out a big bowl now and of course, Snowdrop follows in the footsteps of her aunt!)





And here's what makes me insanely happy: I have such powerful feelings for all these guys! I mean I just love them to pieces, with all my heart. And this is the joyous part: I know that everywhere I look, there are people whose hearts, too, are filled with intense love: toward kids, grandkids, toward partners, spouses, toward siblings, toward all the people who make their lives, our lives beautifully full and intensely rewarding. Just being in each others company, doing nothing more complicated than that, is sublime!

(My daughters, granddaughters, grandson...)






Evening. We're back at the farmhouse. I'm baby sitting Primrose while the young couple goes out to celebrate their anniversary. Four years ago (almost to the day), they held their wedding at the farmette and now here we are again, with all these little ones, with all this love...





Forgive me for getting a wee bit sentimental in this post. This spring has given us a lot of happiness. When I sit back and write about a family weekend, it comes rushing to the surface -- all that tearful gratefulness, all that profound joy.